KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two hurdlers and a sprinter advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective events as the first day of the NCAA East Preliminary Round came to a soggy close Thursday at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.
Stacia Weatherford and Jonathan Jackson each advanced to their respective quarterfinal action in the 400 meter hurdlers while Katie Wise advanced in the women's 100 meters. Leeann Michl came ever so close to advancing into the quarterfinals of the women's 800 meters as did Max Tuttle in the men's 400 meter hurdles.
John Mascari competed in the men's 10,000 meters to conclude the day's competition, a event contested in the rain, but was just shy of an NCAA Finals berth. Brandon Pounds, Maurice Lyke, and Felisha Johnson each competed in field events but failed to advance.
Weatherford came close to her collegiate best time while advancing to the quarterfinals of the women's 400 meter hurdles by winning the sixth heat of the first round (57.74). The senior edged out Coastal Carolina freshman Jessica Gelibert (57.83) at the finish line for the win. Both advanced out of the sixth heat along with Alabama-Birmingham senior Rachel Harley who finished third (58.76).
She ran her collegiate best of 57.64 to win the Missouri Valley Conference 400 meter hurdle championship with the time ranking second on the Indiana State all-time list. Weatherford entered the NCAA East competition ranked 15th in the nation for the 400 meter hurdles.
Weatherford is among the 24 who advanced to the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. (ET) Friday. That field will be led by Clemson sophomore Kendra Harrison who ran her collegiate best (55.77) to win the fourth heat. Central Florida's Sandy Jean-Claude had the second fastest time (57.07) with South Carolina's Tyler Brockington the third fastest (57.40) and Louisiana State's Nikita Tracey fourth (57.53). Weatherford had the fifth fastest time in the first round.
The top 12 from Friday's quarterfinals advance to the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Ore.
Jackson also came close to his collegiate best time and advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's 400 meter hurdles after finishing third in the fourth heat of the first round of races in 51.79. Mississippi State freshman Scottie Hearns won the fourth heat and posted the fastest time of the first round (50.63) with North Carolina freshman Keenan Michael second in the heat (51.03).
Also in the men's 400 meter hurdles, junior Max Tuttle missed by just a hundredth of a second to advance as he finished 25th overall with a time of 52.15 seconds. Sophomore Arqeil Shaw was 34th in the first round with a time of 52.67 seconds.
Jackson won the Missouri Valley Conference 400 meter hurdle championship in 51.78 which ranks fifth on the Indiana State all-time list. The sophomore entered the NCAA East ranked 43rd nationally.
He is among the 24 who advanced to the quarterfinals at 7:45 p.m. Friday. Purdue junior Andre' Pert posted the second fastest time (51.24) while Michigan junior Ali Arastu the third fastest (51.25).
The top 12 from Friday's quarterfinals advance to the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Ore.
Wise became the third member of the Indiana State to advance out of first round action Thursday as she finished fourth in the fifth heat of the women's 100 meters (11.50) but advanced to the quarterfinals on her time.
Penn State junior Mahagony Jones won the heat (11.33) with Auburn senior Kai Selvon second (11.40) and Georgia freshman Tynis Gaither third (11.42) with each automatically moving on to the second round.
Wise posted her collegiate best time of 11.41 to win the Missouri Valley Conference 100 meter title which ranks third on the Indiana State all-time list. The freshman went into the competition tied for 26th in the nation rankings.
A pair of Central Florida sprinters will lead the field into the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. Friday with Aurieyall Scott leading the field (11.15) and Octavious Freeman second (11.17). Louisiana State's Kimberlyn Duncan has the third fastest time (11.23).
The top 12 from the quarterfinals will advance to the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Ore.
Senior Leeann Michl was not as fortunate as the other Sycamores in first round competition as she finished fourth in the fifth heat of the women's 800 meters in a season best time of 2:07.24 which put her 27th overall and three spots (or 1.5 seconds) short of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Princeton sophomore Cecilia Barowski won the fifth heat in 2:06.54 with Jacksonville senior Bienna Freeman second (2:06.75) and Villanova freshman Angel Piccirillo third (2:06.82).
Michl's previous season best was 2:07.91 which she ran at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic. The senior won the MVC championship in the women's 800 meters two weeks ago with a time of 2:08.73.
Louisiana State senior Charlene Lipsey was the top qualifier (2:05.25) with Georgia junior Megan Malasarte second (2:04.50) and Louisiana State junior Natoya Goule third (2:04.50). The top 24 advanced to the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday.
The top 12 from the quarterfinals will advance to the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Ore.
Also on Thursday –
Sycamore freshman Johns Mascari battled the rain and 47 other competitors seeking a spot in the NCAA Finals for the men's 10,000 meters and finished 19th overall in 30:16.83. The top 12 advance to the NCAA Finals which included UNC-Greensboro junior Paul Katam who won in 29:50.22.
Senior Brandon Pounds competed in the first of his two events at the NCAA East Preliminary and placed 33rd in the men's discus with a distance of 162'-10” (49.63m). Pounds will be in action on Saturday in the men's hammer throw at 10 a.m. (ET).
Junior Maurice Lyke also competed in the first of his two events at the NCAA East Preliminary as he finished 43 rd in the men's long jump with a leap of 21'-8¾“ (6.62m). Lyke will run in the first round of the men's 110 meter hurdles at 5:30 p.m. (ET) Friday.
Felisha Johnson competed in the first of her three events at the NCAA East Preliminary but failed to advance in the women's discus as she fouled on each of her first three attempts. Johnson will be back in action on Friday in the women's hammer throw at 10 a.m. She will also compete in the women's shot put at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Upcoming Schedule –
Friday's competition opens with Johnson going in her second event, the women's hammer throw, at 10 a.m. (ET). Seniors Nicole Hope and Richelle Kimble join freshman Kimyanna Rudolph in the women's pole vault competition that starts at 5 p.m. while junior Chris Fields and freshman Derek Bunch go in the men's shot put which also starts at 5 p.m.
Track action for Indiana State begins at 5:30 p.m. when junior Greggmar Swift and Lyke compete in the first round of the men's 110 meter hurdles. The top three in each heat and the next six fastest times advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday. The quarterfinals in the women's 100 meters (6:30 p.m.), women's 800 meters (7:00 p.m.), women's 400 meter hurdles (7:30 p.m.), and the men's 400 meter hurdles (7:45 p.m.) will be run on Friday with the top 12 advancing to the NCAA Finals.
Wise will run in her second event at 8 p.m. Friday when she competes in the women's 200 meter preliminaries. The top three from each heat along with the next six fastest times advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Indiana State's competition on Friday wraps up with senior Dustin Betz competing in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase at 9:30 p.m. The top three from each heat plus the next three fastest times advance to the NCAA Finals.
Two more field events involving Sycamores begin the final day of competition on Saturday as Pounds and junior Justin Applegate go in the men's hammer throw at 10 a.m. Johnson returns for her third event at 5:30 p.m. when she competes in the women's hammer throw.
The final day on the track starts for at 6 p.m. Indiana State when sophomore Kaisha Martin, senior Macey Black, freshman Demetra Camble, and Wise compete for the Sycamores in the women's 4x100 meter relay. The top three from each heat along with the next three fastest times advance to the NCAA Finals.
The quarterfinals of the men's 110 meter hurdles will be run at 7:20 p.m. with the quarterfinals of the women's 200 meters at 7:35 p.m. The top 12 in each event advance to the NCAA Finals.
